Web pages as sources - points to consider

Reliable party?

• Who is the author of the material? Can the author be contacted—is the e-mail address of the person available?
• Does the author have expert knowledge in the field being discussed?
• Note that you must distinguish between the editor of a Web site and the author of published material.
• Who publishes the Web page? An individual, university, professional association ...?

Unbiased discussion?

• What is the purpose of the Web page?
• How detailed is the information presented?
• Is the discussion one-sided or is the material discussed from more than one point of view?

New information?

• When was the page created?
• When was the page last updated?
• Are the links on the page active?
• Do the links lead to “good/reliable” pages and do they add anything to the material on the page?